Safety roller-bearing swivel-wrench



B. H. ABERNATHY. SAFETY ROLLER BEARING SWIVEL WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1920.

1,383,274. Patented July 5, 1921.

ventor UNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN H. ABERNATHY, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AS SIGNOR OF ONEsTHIRD TO WALTER S. LEE AND ONE-THIRD T0 RALPH MAINES, BOTH OF TULSA, OKLA- HOMA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SAFETY ROLLER-BEARING- SWIVEL-WRENCH.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed April 15, 1920. Seria1 No. 374,216.

new and useful Improvements in Safety Roller-Bearing Swivelrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The tool to which my invention relates is an oil-field swivel wrench which is'used for holding and conveying heavy drill bits and screwing them into and unscrewing them from the socket in the end of the stem at the end of the drill cable. Such a tool usually comprise a yoke with along handle and adapted to-be suspended where the yoke and handle join, a head pivotally carried bythe yoke, and a jaw re'volub'ly carried by the head and holding the bit by its squared and shouldered upper end. j

The object of my invention is to provide in such a swivel wrench, a roller bearing element between the head and the jaw in order to eliminate the friction and thus make easy the rotating of the bit while held up by the wrench; a further object is to provide a safety element in such a swivel wrench which is simple in construction and not in the way and which is adapted'to'prevent the bit from accidentally slipping out of the jaw; further objects are as hereinafter set forth. j a

My invention comprises certain elements and combinations includin tapered roller bearings between the head and the jaw members, novel safety element, and the parts,

improvements and combinationshereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the de scription of the drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form and what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof; and it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, I contemplate changes in form, proportions and materials, the transposition of parts and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view. the handle or lever being broken away and concealed parts being shown in dotted outline. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the jaw, detached, the left halfbeing shown in section on a plane indicatedby the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several drawings.

The two arms 4, 4t ofthe yoke are formed with lips 5', 5 so as to form a socket for receiving the end of the lever handle 6, and the yoke members and the lever are rigidly held'toge'ther bythe bolts 'T and 8, the latter 'of which forms also a means for pivotally securing the yoke to the 'clevis 9 by which thetool is suspended. j

11 is the head formed with oppositely extending gudgeons 10, 10 whereby it is pivotally mounted in the yoke. The head is circular in form and is provided with an annular channel 12 opening upwardly and a number of tapered roller bearings 14, 14, 14 are mounted within the channel on pins 13 '13, l3which span'the channel; As shown in the drawings a segment of the head is removed in order to admit the bit to be passed into the center of the jaw and also in order to permit the assembly as hereinafter explained.

15 is the aw member formed with a vertical central opening 16, a gap 18 to admit the bit to the central portion, and an annu lar channel 17 opening outwardly and formed to receive the head. The under surface of the upper flange is tapered, as shown at 19 to conform to the taper of the bearing rollers, andit is this tapered surface which supports the jaw on the head. The taper is correctly formed so thatthere will be no slipping of any portion of the contacting surfaces between the roller and the jaw. "20 is a platesecured to the top of the jaw member by means of cap-screws 21, 21, 21. Several ofthese plates are usually provided of different sizes of slots 22in order to make the swivel wrench applicable to different sizes of bits. They are interchangeable and supplemental to the jaw member proper. The plate is circular and its rim is rabbeted to receive the lip of the safety ring 25, as shown at 24c, said ring being rotatably mounted on said jaw and held thereon by means of said rabbet and lip. The ring is formed with a gap, as shown at 26. to admit the bit to the middle portion of the aw; and the gaps in the ring and in the jaw substantially correspond in width and form the maximum limit to the size of the squared portion of the bit to which the tool-is applicable. formed with handles 27, 27 by whichit may be rotated on the jaw.

Projecting downwardly and outwardly from the jaw member are the handles 28, 28 whereby the attendant rotates the bit and jaw with respect to the head.

The tool is of metal and the bearing rollers are preferably of brass. Preferably, too, the jaw member proper is integrally made, and .thegap in thehead is sufficiently wide to permit it, without the roller bearings, to be assembled with the aw by inserting thehead from one side of the jaw, first getting one horn of the head inside. one horn of the jaw and then turning the head back so it falls into proper place; the pins and rollers are then put in place, one at a time, at the gap in the jaw. The assembling of the other parts is self explanatory.

The tool is used in the main about as other tools of similar general character. The gaps being in register, as shown'in the drawings, the tool is applied to the squared portion of the bit immediately vunder'the shoulders, and the safety ring is given a turn to span the gap of the jaw. The tool and bit may then be hoisted by a support applied to the clevis, an attendant holding it and guiding it by means of the long handle lever; when the bit is conveyedto position under the stem socket into which it is to be screwed, it is raised to initial engagement by means of the long lever, and then, by means of the handles 28,28,another attendant rotates the jaw and with it the bit and screws the latter into the socket while the bit is supported by the wrench, as tight as he can; the big wrenches with longer leverages are then applied to make the connection as tight as possible. To remove the wrench, the safety ring is turned to register with the gap in the aw and the gap in the jaw is brought to register with the gap in the'head, and the tool is with drawn.

The function of the roller bearings and the safety ring will be appreciated in view of the fact that-drill bits now used in. oil-field work weigh up to 2,000. pounds and more.

The ring isv Having thus described my invention, what I'claim is:

1. The combination of a yoke formed with a lever handle and means for suspending same, a head pivotally mounted in the yoke V nular channel opening outwardly, said head revolubly fitting within said channel of said jaw member, the under surface of the upper wall of said last named channel being tapered and being supported on said rollers, a clamping plate mounted on the top of said jaw member, cap-screws securing said plate to said j aw member, said plate being formed with a slot for receiving and supporting a drill. bit and being also formed with an exterior annular rabbet, and a safety ring having an annular lip engaging in said rabbet and rotatably mounted onsaid jaw memher and also formedwith handles and with a gap, said head being also formed with a gap. 7

2. In a swivel wrench, the combination of a head member, means for pivotally supporting said head member, a jawmember formed with a gap and revolubly mounted on said head member, a clamping plate secured on top of said jaw member and formed with a slot for receiving and holding a drill bit, and a safety ring formed with a gap and rotatably mounted on said jaw and adapted in one position toregister its gap with the jaw gap and in shifted position to span the jaw gap. I

In a swivel wrench, the combination of a head member, means for pivotally supportingsaid head member,ajaw member revolubly mounted on said head member and formed with an opening for receiving and support ing a bit, and a safety ring formed with a gap and rotatably mounted on said jaw member for closing and opening the jaw opening. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aliixed my signature. r

. BENJAMIN H. ABERNATHY. 

